History
--Kathryn Hull
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Ecuador's history is a complicated one. In the Pre-Columbian era, several indigenous tribes, each with its own customs and language, lived in the area that is now Ecuador. Limited by geography, these peoples had little contact with each other except for trade, and no individual tribe was strong enough to conquer or unify its neighbors. It was not until the Incan Empire began its expansion northward from Peru in the 15th century that many of the native peoples had any substantial communication with each other in a capacity other than trading. The Incas brought cultural uniformity and a common language, helped by strong central organization, intermarriage, and leadership backed by a powerful army. In the early 16th century, though, the Incas became divided. Huayna Capac, king of the Incas, decided to halve his kingdom between two sons, Huascar and Atahualpa, and died soon after. Neither son was willing to share power, and a bitter civil war began. Atahualpa finally won out, but was made king of a substantially weakened empire just days before the Spanish conquistadors arrived.

The Spanish were the first Europeans to set foot in Ecuador, landing in 1532, though there is some archaeological evidence that the Chinese and other cultures made contact with the indigenous peoples hundreds of years earlier. Led by Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish contingent was relatively small and proceeded carefully at first. For some reason, Atahualpa essentially ignored the Spanish presence for two months, which allowed the Spaniards to establish themselves in Ecuador. Pizarro marched inland, looking for the leader of the Incas, and finally found Atahualpa at Cajamarca. When Atahualpa refused to submit to the Spanish crown and the Christian God, Pizarro's troops opened fire on Atahualpa and his supporters, massacreing hundreds. Atahualpa was captured, imprisoned, and eventually executed to consolidate Spanish control.

Thus began the Spanish colonial era in Ecuador. Ecuador was made a part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, and Spanish settlers came to claim land and make their fortunes in Spain's newest colony. With the exception of the northwestern province, what would become Esmeraldas, Ecuador came completely under Spanish control by the middle of the 16th century. The indigenous peoples were made to work as slaves on the encomiendas of the Spanish landlords, who worked them to death under inhuman conditions. Smallpox, measles and other diseases decimated the indigenas, who simply did not have the immune systems to combat those infections. The Catholic church became the instutional religion, but not without a few modifications. Many native Ecuadorians continued to believe in their own pantheon of gods while integrating the saints and the Christian concept of the Trinity into their own belief system. Over time, there was intermarriage between the Spanish and the indigenas, and today this diverse lineage can be seen in the faces of modern Ecuador.

After almost three centuries of Spanish rule and a difficult revolution, Ecuador finally gained its independence in 1830. The road has been rocky ever since. Ecuadorian politics were and are tumultuous, and today Ecuador is still struggling to find a system of more or less democratic government that can meet the needs of such a diverse population.

  • An excellent link, the best I've found by far, is Library of Congress Very thorough.
  • - Lonely Planet is an excellent source of no-nonsense information Spunky format; good maps.
  • www.guiaecuador.com - en espanol, a little patchy, has some good graphics
  • www.quito.org


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